


on your collarbone

by sehnsvcht



Series: definition of love [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, This is so soft, baekhyun plays the piano, what's new honestly, yixing is in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 11:59:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10830843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sehnsvcht/pseuds/sehnsvcht
Summary: Baekhyun teaches Yixing how to play the piano.





	on your collarbone

**Author's Note:**

> I found this tiny little baby in my drafts, long forgotten after I started years ago (literally, _years_ ago). And since I wanted to post something for Baekhyun's birthday (happy birthday, you adorable old man), I decided to pick it up, polish it a bit, and post it under this series I promised to create. It's a different take on Baekxing's relationship I had written before—or rather, another snippet of their life together. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Title inspired straight from [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZVPmq6bEc0). Please, please listen to it. That's literally Yixing's mind into a song, in this story.

Yixing's hands have always been suited for playing piano, his fingers long and slender, his movements slow and precise. That's what his grandmother used to say all the time.

But Yixing chose the guitar instead. To him, its sound is rougher and true, closer to the human soul in ways that those ivory keys sitting right in front of him right now ever could be, he thinks. Since he picked it up many years ago, Yixing has never put down his guitar, always going back to it after a particularly long day at the office or when the stress of the magazine gets a little too much.

Guitar does a better job with ballads, too. To Yixing, songs sound more heartfelt when played on his beloved strings, and the words come more easily. There's something about the human voice and the sound of a guitar that just fits well, he believes; a certain natural flow between the two sounds, in a way. But that's just him, really, probably.

However, when it comes to Baekhyun and the piano, it's something else completely. An entirely different story. Baekhyun gives the piano a new purpose, as if he was giving it a new sound, more beautiful, more serene and Yixing seems to appreciate it more whenever Baekhyun plays.

Because Baekhyun is delicate when his fingers glide the keys, in a way that Yixing has never been. He's got that sweet, content little smirk playing on his lips as he plays intently, his eyes searching the entire pad for the next note, the next chord, the next sound that will make Yixing's heart flutter and question everything he knows about this boy— _his_ boy—and the instrument he plays so well. It’s not unlike the way Baekhyun’s pictures elicit the deepest emotions in Yixing—but it’s done through the piano, this time, and the way Baekhyun plays it wonderfully and wholeheartedly.

And sometimes, he will mess up and swear under his breath—that's Yixing's favourite part—and he will try again, with a determined look on his face that's so very _Baekhyun_ , and will continue playing like nothing ever happened, although there's still gonna be a hint of a frown marked on his forehead.

That's exactly how Yixing found him this morning; playing softly in their tiny music room by the end of the hall, his body engulfed in soft sweatpants and a sweater that was way too big for him. Baekhyun was playing without seeming to really pay attention to what he was doing, but still focused enough so that he didn't take notice of Yixing's presence until his words followed suit.

“Teach me.”

At that, Baekhyun startled, and turned around softly. His still sleepy eyes looked dazzled, for a second, as if he wasn't expecting to find Yixing there yet—he had just come back from a quick detour at the convenience store after all, grabbed a few things for breakfast—but his gaze settled quickly, and the usual mischief Yixing had learned to adore came back immediately. It lit up his eyes in an instant, and Yixing was reminded of the star he has found in Baekhyun, all of a sudden.

“I'm not all that good, hyung, you wouldn't learn much.”

Yixing had laughed at that, a soft chuckle, before replying, “I've seen you play, Baekhyun. You're incredible.” A short silence, and then again, "Teach me."

“You already know how to play.”

“Not as well as you.”

It took a long stare, a curious look from Baekhyun, before he finally agreed with a short nod, patting the bench at his side and scooting over gingerly to leave room for Yixing to join him.

It was simple as that—it was their first interaction of the day, but there was no need of empty greetings and mindless early morning banter. Often times, the words they shared carried more to them—there were loving, fond undertones to their voices and sentences that made them mean something, always more than what the outsider could hear.

So here they are, the both of them, seated in front of the grand piano Yixing had stubbornly bought a few years back out of the blue, “ _because I know you'll want to play, Baekhyunnie_.”

He was right.

However, none of them has moved for a while, now. Yixing has his eyes set on the keys before him, and Baekhyun is watching him with what is probably a fond smile on his lips. Moments later, Baekhyun's voice echoes softly on the walls of the music room they’re in.

“I'm probably gonna be a terrible teacher, you know.”

Yixing shifts his gaze to Baekhyun's eyes, and shrugs. “You can't know if you've never done this before. Plus, I think you're gonna do great.”

“Of course you do,” Baekhyun smiles. “You always say things like that.”

It's Yixing's turn to smile, and he lets his hand fall on Baekhyun's thigh before squeezing sweetly. “Enough, now. Teach me how to play, Baekhyunnie, I'm growing impatient.”

“Ever so charming, aren't you, Xing?” But Baekhyun is still smiling as he turns to face the keys properly, scanning the pad with his eyes, calculating, before they come to rest on Yixing again. “How about this, I’ll teach you the melody, and I'll play the chords. Deal?”

“Deal,” Yixing nods.

And so it begins.

It begins with Baekhyun softly taking Yixing's hands in his, placing them with tenderness and care on the white keys, as if he were afraid to break them, or to startle him away. Baekhyun’s hands are warm around his own, and it sends sparks flying all over his arms and pooling at his stomach, deliciously invigorating and comforting at the same time.

Then, with a quick glance towards Yixing, Baekhyun starts pressing the fingers beneath his own on the keys, until slowly, a melody forms.

However, Yixing is too lost in Baekhyun's careful movements and the way his focused eyes are darker and more alert than they were earlier to recall anything Baekhyun is showing him. The sleep has vanished from his limbs, it seems, his attention clear and sharp in the way he presses and moves Yixing’s hands across the keys, teaching him a melody Yixing cannot afford to remember.

So when Baekhyun asks him to play it again, on his own, Yixing looks at him sheepishly, before pressing a few random notes, the sound atrociously uncoordinated and so different from the lovely music Baekhyun was playing. It embarrasses him, even, since he knows he can do better than that, on any day.

How is he to blame, when Baekhyun shines so bright, even this early in the morning?

And Baekhyun laughs, his loud cackle a bright, refreshing sound that warms Yixing's heart to the core and almost leaves him shivering. Baekhyun laughs, and repeats the same motions again, making sure that this time, Yixing is paying attention.

The first song is a lovely ballad, simple and repetitive, and Yixing is endeared. It reminds him of the sun, of a lovely afternoon in his and Baekhyun's backyard, on a hot summer day with no one else but each other. Yixing plays it, and he can see it, and he loves it.

After a few tries, Yixing remembers it, too.

“You think you can play it on your own, now?” Baekhyun asks him.

Yixing turns to face him, and nods. “Sure. Let's go?”

“Let's go.”

And when Yixing places his hands on the keys, and starts playing, Baekhyun starts playing too; different sounds at different times, but it fits beautifully with the melody Yixing was taught, and Yixing can't stop smiling.

It all fits so well, is the thing; the chords and the melody. They fit so well, just like Yixing likes to think his voice fits with his guitar, just like he knows he and Baekhyun fit seamlessly, a unit of their own, the two of them together.

When the short piece is over, Yixing is back at looking at Baekhyun, and the delicate shape of his profile, the sharp angles of his jaw, how the morning light paints shadows over his face.

“Wasn't too bad, was it?” Baekhyun says, eyes bright and happy.

“You were brilliant,” Yixing replies, because it's the truth.

“You weren't so bad yourself. I think I did quite a good job, being your teacher, after all.”

Yixing knows the smile he's giving away is ridiculously smitten and dimpled, and Baekhyun confirms it when he sticks his finger to poke at his cheek. “Another?” he asks him, and Yixing nods enthusiastically.

They repeat the same process again, Baekhyun's hands warm over Yixing's, guiding him along on the ivory keys of the grand piano, dictating a song with the soft press of their joint fingers.

This song sounds sad—it's still rhythmic and fast paced, but the chords and notes carry a certain melancholy to them, a yearning Yixing cannot quite place, and he feels heavy simply playing the song. He doesn't see the sunbathed backyard he used to picture while playing the previous song; now, he sees someone running, their heart weighting them down, and it almost makes him cry.

He keeps playing, though. He keeps playing, and Baekhyun keeps teaching him, gorgeous in his ways. Yixing doesn't cry, because Baekhyun is right there with him—there's no reason to cry if Baekhyun is by his side.

It takes him less time to get the hang of this one than it did for the previous one; the main melody keeps repeating itself, and it's fairly simple, if Yixing dares think so.

When they play it together, when the entire song comes to life, Yixing is torn between weeping and smiling; he's rapt with wonder at how Baekhyun looks, perched on the bench, his hands playing dutifully on the keys. He's amazed at how he looks completely stunning, his hair golden and soft and falling over his forehead, tickling his eyelashes; but he's also torn apart, because as wonderful as the song is, it's also heartbreaking, and it shouldn't be—not when Baekhyun looks this beautiful, not when Yixing feels this happy.

Yixing itches for his guitar, all of a sudden.

They finish playing at the same time, and it takes a few moments for Yixing to say, “That was sad.”

Baekhyun looks up to him, his gaze lost, as if he were somewhere far away. “What?”

“The song. It was—it was so sad.”

Baekhyun's eyes soften. “It was,” he says with a slow nod. “It's a French song, I don't know the lyrics, but... hold on.” He reaches for Yixing's hand and entangles their fingers.

The sparks resume, enlightening his insides. The glow of Baekhyun’s soul is so, so bright, scorching hot.

Yixing goes with Baekhyun when he stands, follows him through the house, until they stop in the living room. Yixing takes a seat on the couch, drawing his legs up towards his chest, rests his chin on his knees. He watches as Baekhyun fumbles with his phone, plugs it to the sound system. After a few seconds, a familiar melody starts playing—the very same Yixing's just learned, just played himself. A feminine voice follows; a soft tone, so very delicate, singing with yearning in a language he barely understands.

Baekhyun comes to sit next to him, leaning onto Yixing's side, resting his head on his shoulder. Yixing can feel Baekhyun's soft hair tickling his chin, his breathing evening out as he relaxes next to him.

They listen to the entire song once in silence, and Yixing loves it, loves it instantly, and almost cries again—he doesn't understand it at all, not a word, but he loves its sound, loves how the singer is sincere in how she delivers her lyrics, as if she needed the entire world to know about her heartbreak, languages be damned.

When Baekhyun stands to start the song for a second time, Yixing asks, “Do you know what she's singing about?”

Baekhyun comes back quickly to the couch, and Yixing brings his arm around his shoulders, keeping him close. “I think she's singing about, like, this guy. She's met him, and they've known each other just long enough to please—that's the first line, actually. They loved each other, until once, she has to leave. And I think... I think she's sad about it, but she has no other choice, you know? And she simply asks him, ‘Don't forget me. I'm not sure if you're worth it, and I wish things were different, but please don't forget me.’”

Yixing blinks, lets the music lull him again; however, this time, he can place a feeling on the words rushing through his brain, even if he still cannot understand them. “I like it. It's so very sad, but I like it a lot.”

“Me too.”

They sit in silence, the song playing a second time, the morning passing by slowly. There's a thought in the back of Yixing's mind reminding him that he still has to make breakfast for the both of them, that there's an entire day ahead of him, actually, but he cannot bring himself to stand up, do anything, at the moment.

He just wants to listen, listen to this one song, listen to Baekhyun some more, just sit there, and listen.

“Baekhyun,” he starts, a few silent moments after the song ends again.

“Mmh?”

“Sing for me. Please?”

He hasn’t heard Baekhyun’s singing voice in a while—after being caught up in a variety of projects, leaving the both of them with tight deadlines and stressful nights, they’ve only ever spent their nights, well, sleeping. And doing a bit of other things, too—of course they did—but Yixing hasn’t heard Baekhyun’s songs in a while, and this morning feels perfect to hear it again. There’s nothing pressuring them down, now, the day ahead of them free of responsibilities and full of possibilities for them to be just _them_ , really.

Baekhyun hums, lifting his head to stare at Yixing, eyes moving all across his face like he’s making sure Yixing is really there, next to him, enveloping him with his arms. Yixing feels his skin blush slightly. “Right now?”

“Right now.”

“We haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“I’ll make you breakfast soon. Promise. I was planning to, anyway.”

Baekhyun giggles, and Yixing smiles because he’s so adorable, so beautiful, so… “What do you want me to sing?”

Before he replies, Yixing leans in, drops a quick peck on Baekhyun’s forehead, smile broadening when Baekhyun playfully scrunches up his nose at the kiss. “Anything. You choose.”

He always lets Baekhyun choose. He trusts him, after all.

And Baekhyun knows that—probably expects Yixing’s answer, at this point—and starts singing, a low hum that turns into a beautiful melody, and Yixing listens, enraptured, enamored, entranced.

This song, Yixing knows—it’s brighter than the one they’ve just heard, and suits Baekhyun’s voice perfectly. The image of sunny afternoons comes back to him, happy and carefree, because there’s no need to worry about forgetting or leaving when he knows Baekhyun is here to stay. Of course, as always, Baekhyun chose well, once again.

It’s the start to a perfect day, Yixing thinks contentedly, squeezing Baekhyun’s shoulders as he sings and closing his eyes to the morning light around him. There’s nothing he wants, needs more than the boy by his side, right now, his voice, and the glow of the stars in his eyes.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Little note: the song Baekhyun and Yixing listens to is [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyuPn4DPCdA), which also inspired [this previous story](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7903108) in its entirety. :)
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments! Kudos and feedback are always deeply and wonderfully appreciated, thank you sooooo much for reading ♥


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